Farai Chideya

A study says that if you're using your cell phone while driving, you're just as likely to crash as someone who has been drinking. But most states don't ban texting while driving. And ...

President Obama wants Congress to agree to at least the outlines of a health care plan before the August recess. But Republicans hope to delay action until the Fall, figuring public o...

The World Health Organization reports that one in four pharmaceuticals are fake. The problem hits home in the developing world, where scant regulation lets useless and sometimes dange...

Today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will give lawmakers an update on the economy. Will he say that the recession is coming to an end? Joining The Takeaway with a preview is D...

A large part of the health care debate is about the numbers. How much will health care legislation cost the federal government? Will you be paying more or less? To help figure out wha...

Large banks like Goldman Sachs posted record gains recently. Many smaller regional banks will release their earnings with much less fanfare this week. The Takeaway looks at the state...

Taliban attacks today rocked two eastern cities in Afghanistan. In the city of Gardez, Taliban militants dressed as women in burqas tried to set off explosives but were shot before th...

The Pentagon is restructuring the war effort in Afghanistan, flooding the country with more than 20,000 troops. Now the Pentagon is revamping its detention policies in Afghanistan wit...

A group of reformist clerics, including former President of Iran Mohammad Khatami, have called for a national referendum on the election process. The group said millions of Iranians h...

The world's oldest mother died last week. She was a Spanish woman who gave birth to twins when she was 67. But cancer took her life just three years after giving birth. This week's fa...

President Obama’s stimulus plan's main goal was to help needy communities build roads and create jobs, to help kick-start the economy. To keep track of how the stimulus money is being...

President Obama hoped to have his health care reform plan passed before Congress goes on recess in August, but now that seems unlikely. Over the weekend, the Congressional Budget Offi...

Walter Cronkite, an icon in television news, had retired in 1982. In his post-anchorman career he had become critical of the state of journalism today, even having a few regrets from...

Irish Author Frank McCourt died yesterday of cancer in New York City. He was 78. McCourt was best known for his book "Angela's Ashes," a memoir about his impoverished Irish childhood,...

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in India today. Joining The Takeaway to talk about Clinton's trip and Washington's challenges in the subcontinent are Linda Blake, Wall Street Jo...

For those out of work and looking for a job, staying motivated can be tough. But with a "job search buddy," job-seekers can lean on someone for encouragement. The Takeaway talks to De...

Michael Vick, the NFL star convicted of running a dog fighting ring, is released today from two months of house arrest, after an 18-month stint behind federal prison bars. Is he headi...

For this Monday's agenda segment, we talk about the Senate Finance Committee's bipartisan plan and President Obama's health care reform. The Takeaway also talks about Hillary Clinton'...

Walter Cronkite died at the age of 92 on Friday night after a long bout with cerebrovascular disease. Cronkite revolutionized television news and the role of the news anchor, and was...

On the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, The Takeaway talks to two members of the next generation of astronauts: Kate Rubins, who has been accepted to NASA’s 2009 Astronaut ...